


Once More, With Feeling

by Z_A



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst, Canon Divergent, Canon-Typical Violence, Cisco vibes some naughty things, Cisco's POV, Eventual Smut, F/M, Metahumans, Not really a slow burn, POV Female Character, Russian Mobsters - Freeform, Work In Progress, but its not immediate either, empath powers, explicit self-loving
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-02
Updated: 2017-06-30
Packaged: 2018-09-06 01:47:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8729854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Z_A/pseuds/Z_A
Summary: Cisco's never been one to fall for a damsel in distress, but then Mack isn't much of a damsel...OrThe one where Team Flash goes up against a Russian Mobster, and Cisco falls in love.(Work In Progress)





	1. Chapter 1

“We've got a report of screaming coming from 2364 South St.” Cisco said into his phone.

“I'm on my way.” Barry said.

“It looks like an abandoned building. There aren't any cameras in the building so you're going in blind, sorry man.” Cisco told him, and then Barry hung up. Once Barry had his suit on they talk over the comm, but mostly Cisco just sat there listening to everything that was happening.

“Aww, look who showed up to help. It's the flash.” A woman's voice said.

“What's going here?” Barry asked.

“My friends and I are just playing a little game. Your services won't be needed, speedster.”

“Doesn't seem like these two want to play your game. Why don't you let me take them home?” Barry asked.

Cisco didn't understand why Barry always had to try to talk to these people. It never helped. If anything it made things worse.

“Can't. Contract says I have to get this one to talk.” the woman told him.

“Contracts can be broken.” Barry answered.

“Not this one. Now get out of here before I have to hurt you, hero. You won't be saving anyone today.”

“We'll see about that.”

After that Cisco just heard screaming and some crying. There was clearly a fight. Barry asked someone if they were okay, and then a minute later three people were standing in front of Cisco in the cortex. Barry, a guy, and a girl. They both looked like they were twenty-somethings. The guy had obviously been tortured. He had cuts all over his face, and his arm was obviously broken. The girl didn't look injured at all, but she really looked like hell. Her clothes were faded and dirty, and she didn't look like she had been eating much; her hair was unkempt, and she didn't look like she'd shower in a while.

“What happened?” Cisco asked, as Caitlin came rushing in to check on everyone.

“That's a good question. Can either of you explain what was going on back there?”Barry asked the two.

Caitlin whisked the guy into the infirmary, and girl was just standing there, watching her feet as tears fell from her eyes. “It's all my fault.” she said. “I'm so sorry.”

“What's your name?” Barry asked her, guiding her to a chair.

“Mack. I'm Mack.”

“Who was that woman, back there?” 

“They call her Bol'. I don't know her real name. She's one of Pavel Ovechkin's enforcers.”

“Oh that's just fantastic.” Cisco said, standing up from his chair. “Now we're getting into a Russian mobster's business?”

“I'm really sorry.” Mack said quietly. “It's me he wants, not you. If I go back he might not come after you.”

“Go back? What are you talking about?” Barry asked. “You can't go back there! Bol' was there to torture the two of you!”

“No, she wasn't. She brought Cal there to torture him in front of me. Her orders are to hurt the people I'm close to until I give in and go back to working for Ovechkin.” Mack told them, walking toward the door.

“What does he need you for?” Cisco asked, moving in front of Mack so that she couldn't leave.

“He wants me to help him. To use my... powers.”

“What kind of powers do you have?” Barry asked.

“I can... feel things. People.” Mack told them.

“Feel people?” Cisco asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

“Their emotions. Their intentions. I can tell when someone is lying, and I can sense when people are around.”

“So you're like, an empath?” Cisco asked. “Cool.”

“Cool? You try it sometime. You try living with everyone else's emotions. You try drowning in them.” Mack spat. “Sometimes I'm not even sure if I have emotions of my own anymore. If someone near me is feeling something strongly enough I act on it, even though it has nothing to do with me. Does that sound cool to you?”

“But there have to be upsides, right? I bet you'd kick some serious ass in a poker game.” Cisco joked. Comedic relief was what he was best at, and it seemed to be working. 

Mack's face softened, and she sighed. “Just let me go. If you don't Ovechkin will come looking for all of us, and trust me, you don't want that.”

“Do you really want to go work for that guy?” Barry asked.

“Of course not. I never wanted to work for that monster. But he took my family. He told me that if I didn't do what he asked he'd kill them.”

“We can help keep them safe.” Barry told her.

“No. You can't.” Mack said, her voice going hard and cold. “I messed up. There was a meeting a couple of months back with the Italians. The emotions in the room were so strong I didn't feel the presence outside the building. It was the cops.”

“What happened?” Barry asked. 

“Ovechkin kept his promise. I didn't do what he wanted, so he killed my family. My sister was only sixteen.” Mack said. She wasn't looking at either of them anymore. Just staring at her feet, guilt written all over her face. “After that I stopped. I didn't think he had any other way to force me into it anymore. But then they went after my friends. Cal was my boyfriend in High School. I thought he'd moved away, but they found him yesterday. I guess he came home for Thanksgiving.”

“You can't go back there, Mack.” Cisco told her, reaching a hand out to reassure her. She shrugged away from him, and finally looked up again.

“What choice do I have? If I don't he'll go after everyone I've ever known. I can't put more people's lives at risk.”

“We'll find a way to stop him.” Barry told her. “We'll do anything it takes. This guy has no right to force Metas into working for him. I won't let him keep doing this.”

Barry had that look in his eyes again, and Cisco knew what it meant. This was their job now. Taking down a Russian mobster. “C'mon Mack.” he said. “Once The Flash decides to do something none of us can stop him. You can stay here at the lab until we work this out.”

 

*

 

A few hours later Cisco was just finishing up some additions to the security system when he started to feel like he was being watched. He looked up to find Mack standing in the doorway to the cortex. He smiled and she started to walk over to him.

“How are you feeling?” Cisco asked.

“You know how a hot shower can make you feel a million times better after a bad day at work?” she asked, sitting in the chair next to him. “Like that.”

Cisco tried not to picture her in the shower. He failed. 

“Where's Cal?” Mack asked quietly. 

“Caitlin took him to the hospital. He was mostly okay except for his arm, and we strongly suggested that he leave Central City as soon as he was discharged, so you might not see him for a while.” Cisco told her.

“Better that way.” She replied. After a moment she asked “Who are they?” tilting her head toward the two men talking quietly on the other side of the room.

“That is Detective Joe West. He works for CCPD, and he's a good friend. We're hoping he can get us more info on Ovechkin. And the stringbean he's talking to is Barry Allen, The- the forensics guy for CCPD. They help out here whenever they can.” Cisco explained. Mack was watching them, so Cisco decided to take a better look at Mack. She was actually very pretty now that she was cleaned up. Her hair was long and golden brown, her eyes were intensely gray. She was thin, but had curves that could be seen even through the S.T.A.R. Labs sweatshirt she was wearing.

“I don't want to get anyone else hurt.” she said, turning to fix her eyes on Cisco's.

“They won't get hurt. We won't let that happen, Mack. I promise.”

“You can't make a promise like that. Ovechkin has people with powers working for him. And he pays them enough that they don't care who they hurt. Cop or science nerd or superhero.”

“Metas. That's what we call them.” Cisco told her. “Meta-humans. After the Particle Accelerator explosion some people were affected. Most of them were hurt in the explosion, but found that they had these powers when they recovered. And dealing with Metas gone bad is kind of what we do here now.”

“Deal with them how?”

“We stop them. With help from The Flash. He stops them, and we help the CCPD put them away. I designed special cuffs for them that dampen their powers until they get to Iron Heights and can be put into cells that prevent them from using their powers.”

“And you think that taking away Ovechkin's pet Metas will eliminate the danger that we're all in now?” Mack scoffed. “He's a dangerous man. Even before he had Meta-Humans on his side he was kidnapping and killing and torturing people. He still has a small army doing his bidding.”

“They are for the CCPD to take care of.” Joe said, now standing just on the other side of the computers. “And we were hoping that you could help us with that. You've been working with him, right? What have you learned?”

 

*

 

After Mack told Joe everything that she could think of about Ovechkin's organization everyone headed home. Everyone except for Cisco. Mack had been sitting silent for ten minutes since the cortex cleared out, just staring into space, and Cisco didn't want to leave her alone.

“You can go home.” Mack told him. “I'll be fine.”

“Is mind reading a thing you can do? Because that is so not fair.” Cisco accused, pointing a Redvine at her.

“You're feeling obligated, and you didn't leave with everyone else. I put two and two together.”

“You can feel something that specific?”

“Usually it takes more time to feel the specifics. It typically starts with the basic emotions, and a general... flavor for the person. But you feel things very loudly.”

“Flavor?” Cisco asked. “You can taste people? Creepy.”

“Not an actual taste.” Mack chuckled. “But everyone feels a certain way. Like different flavors of the same thing.”

“What's my flavor like?” Cisco asked, taking a bite of his candy.

“Loud. And passionate. And kind of...” she paused to think for a moment. “Shiny.” 

“Shiny? What does that even mean?” Cisco laughed.

“Like if this lab were Serenity, you'd be Kaylee.” 

“Okay. Okay, I can see that. Shiny. I like it.” Cisco decided, smiling at Mack. He could totally get used a girl who looked like that and had nerd knowledge. “Want to get some food?”

“Yes.”

And Cisco spent the night eating and watching Netlix with her in the cortex. It was about six in the morning when Barry came back, coffees in hand, asking about what they should do next.

“I'd like to get some more information about Mack's powers.” Caitlin said, arriving just after Barry. “If that's okay with you.”

“No problem.” Mack told her. “What do you want to know?”

“For starters a little background info? What did you do before the Particle Accelerator exploded?”

“I was a psychologist. I worked mostly with patients dealing with depression and anxiety.”

“And what were you doing when the Accelerator exploded?” Caitlin asked, taking notes on a tablet.

“I was teaching a court ordered sensitivity class at Iron Heights. Mostly for inmates who had committed hate crimes and sexual assaults. The idea is to help the inmates understand what their victims felt during their crimes.”

“Well that explains the empathic powers.” Barry said. “Most Metas have powers based on what they were like before, or what was happening with them when the explosion happened. You were teaching a class about learning to empathize when it happened.”

“So if I hadn't signed up for that class I wouldn't have powers?”

“Not necessarily.” Cisco explained. “You might still have them. Or different powers maybe. We aren't sure yet, but Caitlin thinks there may have been a genetic component.”

“It would explain why some people developed abilities while most of the population remained normal.” Caitlin finished. “It's still just a working theory. I don't have enough data to confirm or deny it. Later I would like to take some blood samples, if that's okay?”

Mack nodded, and Caitlin explained the tests she would do. Cisco always kind of zoned out for that part. It wasn't as exciting after the seventh round of explanations. 

“And we'd also like to catalog your powers. What can you tell us about them?” Caitlin asked, finally getting back to the interesting stuff.

“She can distinguish people by their flavors.” Cisco said, with an excited grin. “I taste shiny.”

“Um... he tastes shiny?” Barry asked.

“It can take a while for me to figure out each person's 'flavor'. But Cisco is very distinct. And loud.” Mack told them. “And it's not a literal taste. But there are definite differences to the way each person feels, and the best description I have for that difference is their flavor. Think of it like potato chips. All people are potato chips, but everyone is their own flavor. Cisco is shiny and passionate and loud in all of his emotions that I've felt so far. And Barry is... snappy and electric.”

“And me?” Caitlin asked.

“I haven't really had a chance to get a feel for you yet. Maybe after our fun-filled day of tests together I'll get a better sense for you.” Mack smiled. She had a beautiful smile, Cisco thought, but in a quiet way.


	2. Chapter 2

Cisco watched through the window as Caitlin administered the MRI. Mack was laying still, her eyes covered, looking so peaceful.

“Okay Barry, now you go in.” Caitlin said.

Barry walked quietly into the room, and Mack didn't move or peak. “Hey Barry.” Mack said.

“Great job Mack.” Caitlin said over the mic, motioning for Barry to come back into the control room. “Your turn, Cisco.” 

When Cisco walked in he was pretty sure he hadn't made any noise, and was certain that Mack hadn't looked. But she definitely smiled, and Cisco felt a flutter in his gut that had been dormant for quite a while. 

“Hey Cisco.” she said. “You seem awfully excited about this whole thing.”

“Your brain is awesome. Did you know that?” 

“I did not.” she chuckled. “Awesome in what way?”

“Apparently when you're in the room with someone your Dali Llama-” 

“-Amygdala.” Caitlin corrected over the mic.

“Whatever. It lights up like a Christmas tree. But when you're alone it looks normal. And Caitlin says it's much larger than normal.” Cisco told her.

“That's actually really interesting. How much larger, Caitlin?”

“Two and a half, maybe three times the average size for an adult female.”

“I wonder if that anomaly in my brain structure is an affect of the explosion, or if it was always large and the explosion just kicked it into high gear?” Mack asked. “Maybe I can get a copy of my medical records sent here, I had an MRI in grad school after a car accident. It might give us a better idea about how much has changed since the explosion.”

“This gives me an idea. Maybe there isn't one single genetic component shared by all of the Metas. Maybe each person had an individual genetic anomaly that was activated by the affects of the explosion.” Caitlin spoke quickly.

 

*

 

After the MRI Mack spent the rest of the morning in Caitlin's office discussing theories about how people got their powers. Cisco spent that time working on gathering info on the Metas that were working for Ovechkin. So far he knew of Bol', the telekentic who used her powers to break bones, a man with super strength, and a young girl who seemed to be able to put thoughts into people's minds.

“Dead. End.” Cisco said as Barry and Joe came into the cortex. “I've got minimal info on three Metas, but nothing else is surfacing. Which means that Ovechkin either only has three Metas working for him, or-”

“Or he's keeping the others underground until he needs them.” Barry finished. 

“Between you and me I'm betting he's got a lot more of them on his payroll.”

“So what's next then?” Joe asked.

“I say we go in and and try to take the Metas away from him one by one.” Barry suggested. “Once they're out of the way it'll be a lot easier for the CCPD to take them down.”

“How do you plan to do that? You don't even know where he's keeping them.” Mack said, standing in the doorway.

“But you do.” Barry said.

“I'm not telling you where they are just so that you can run in and get yourself killed. Flash.” Mack accused.

“I- I'm not-” Barry stammered.

“I know that you are. Snappy and electric, remember?” 

“Listen, Mack. You're new to this operation, okay. I'll be fine. I'm the fastest man alive, I can throw lightening bolts, and I heal broken bones in just a couple of hours. Trust me.”

“These aren't newbie Metas who haven't figured out their powers yet and decided to rob a bank. Ovechkin trains his people. He teaches them how to use their powers, how to increase their abilities, and he trains them to fight. They know how to kill, and they don't hesitate to do so. This isn't about trust Barry, it's about reality. Right now we can't stop them. We need more information, and we need more time to plan our next move.”

“Mack, if we wait too long-”

“If we run in guns blazing we'll all die. I will not have your blood on my hands as well.”

And that seemed to be the end of it. Cisco watched as Mack left the cortex, and Barry sighed in that annoying way he did when he thought he was right, but was willing to go along with the person he thought was wrong. Cisco was pretty sure that Mack was right about this. Ovechkin was dangerous, and they just didn't know enough about how his operation worked to be able to make a solid plan. This was one plan that would need to be thought out and coordinated.

 

Cisco didn't know what Mack liked to eat, but he'd never met anyone who didn't like Chinese, so he stopped at his favorite place and picked up a few different things. He knew that Mack had a lot of baggage, and that she was having a hard time dealing with her powers. Cisco had issues dealing with his, and while he hadn't really resolved all of those issues he thought that maybe he could talk to Mack tonight over dinner and help her to find some kind of peace with them.

When Cisco made it back to the lab Mack was sitting on her bed with her eyes closed. “I'm not changing my mind. We'll all get slaughtered if we try to go after Ovechkin right now.” she said.

“I agree. Barry has a thing about taking out the bad guys as quickly as possible, but that doesn't always work out.”

“What is it you need to talk to me about so badly then?” Mack asked, opening her eyes.

“How can you tell that I wanted to talk to you about something?” Cisco asked.

“Well it's either that, or you pulled babysitting duty two nights in a row.”

“Nobody is babysitting you. I just didn't think that you'd want to be here alone at night, it gets kind of creepy in the dark. Besides, there is no food in this place unless you count my candy stash, so I brought dinner.” Cisco smiled at her as brightly as he could. He'd been told that it was nearly impossible not to smile back at him, and even he could feel the tension coming off of her in waves.

“Thank you.” Mack said, letting out a long breath. When she smiled it seemed genuine, so Cisco went over and sat on the bed. He pulled the food containers out of the bags and started placing them on the bed.

“Chopsticks, or forks?” he asked.

“Chopsticks.”

They ate for a bit, talking about their favorite dishes, and getting to know each other a bit better. Cisco told her about his role on Team Flash and some of the tech he had come up with to help Barry, and Mack told him about her life before the Particle Accelerator explosion, but Cisco could feel his nerves growing as the time passed. After she finished eating Mack sat back against the wall and looked Cisco over. “You're practically vibrating, man. What are you so nervous about?”

“I did want to talk to you about something, that's really why I brought the food over.”

“I know. What is it?”

“Listen, I know these powers have created a lot of issues for you, but you have to know that there are upsides to as well. If you only look at this as some kind of a curse, you're never going to find a way to live with them.” He told her, reaching over and placing one of his hands on one of hers. “ And I'd be happy to help you find those upsides. We can explore your abilities more thoroughly in the lab if you want, and we might be able to help you control them better so that you only have to use them when you want to.”

“What kind of powers do you have Cisco?”

“I can... Vibe things. Like other universes, and other timelines. And there is probably a lot more that I can do as well, but I haven't been able to fully explore my powers yet. Mine didn't surface as quickly as Barry's did, so they're still pretty new.”

“You can Vibe things? What kinds of things have you seen?”

Cisco took his hand back and sighed. “Some pretty shitty stuff.” he told her. “I saw... I saw my mentor kill me. He put his hand through my chest and stopped my heart.”

“Was that like a vision of the future?”

“Of the past. Sort of. A few months back Barry went back in time and changed how things happened in our original timeline. In that timeline I figured out that Dr. Wells wasn't who he said he was, and he killed me for it. But when Barry went back and changed things that was no longer how it happened. I didn't figure out about Dr. Wells until later this time, and he wasn't able to kill me. But because of these powers I still saw it, in dreams at first, but then Caitlin helped me modify some lucid dreaming glasses, and I was able to talk her and Barry through everything that I was seeing in those nightmares, and that's how we figured out that I was seeing other timelines. Since then I've been able to channel what I see with those goggles and I've been able to look into other universes as well.”

“Damn. That is quite the power that you have.”

“It felt like a curse in the beginning. I didn't get this cool power that made me feel like a hero. I didn't get to run into burning buildings to save people. I didn't get to stop bank robbers, and outrun bullets. I just had nightmares. I had all of these possibilities of what our world could be like. I didn't feel like it was something that could help people.”

“Can you use it to help people now?”

“Yeah. I can. When someone is in trouble I can usually Vibe them and see where they are and if they're okay. And I can do the same thing with the bad guys, too. Find out where they're hiding and sometimes what they're planning so that Barry can stop them.”

“I'm surprised Ovechkin hasn't come looking for you yet. You would be incredibly valuable to him.”

“Nobody else knows about my powers, just the team here at the lab.”

“What about your family?”

“I'm not that close with my family. They don't know about any of this stuff. They think that I couldn't get another job after the explosion, so I just stayed here and helped Dr. Wells try to fix things.” Cisco could see that they were veering way off topic here, and he think he understood why. After everything that Ovechkin did to Mack and her family he couldn't blame her for being so unhappy with her powers, but he needed to find a way to help her see that she could use them for good. “What about your powers? How did they start?” he asked her.

“They started just after the explosion, I think. I didn't really notice that much at first because I've always tried to empathize with my patients, and put myself in their positions. For the first few months I thought that I was just getting really good at connecting with people soon after meeting them. But then I started feeling things more strongly. When someone started crying it was hard for me not to cry with them. When someone would be angry I could feel the heat of that passion in myself. And then I could just tell when people were lying to me. I just knew it. By the time I could sense each of the people that I was spending the most time with I knew that something was going on. I also knew that strange things were happening around the city and I started trying to do some research. I found a forum online where someone recommended a doctor that was supposedly helping people to control their powers and I went to see him. That's how Ovechkin found out about me. I used an alias with the doctor, but Ovechkin must have been interested in my powers and sent someone to follow me home after the second meeting. That night I got my first offer from one of Ovechkin's cronies.”

“That's good. Mack, that's fantastic!” Cisco nearly yelled. 

“How?”

“The doctor. We can look into the doctor. If we can get to him we can find out how many Metas Ovechkin is using, and we can find out what their powers are. He probably keeps records of everyone he see's for Ovechkin.”

“Ovechkin keeps the records. He owns the building that this guy was working out of, and he had the doctor killed last month.” Mack said, shaking her head.

“He wanted out, and with Ovechkin the only way out is with a hole in your head.”

“Not for everyone. You're out now, and you're perfectly safe here.” Cisco assured her.

“I'm not out. I'm just away for now. He wants me back and he'll do whatever it takes to make that happen.”

“I'm not going to let that happen. We're not going to let that happen. Barry won't stop until he has Ovechkin, and every Meta willingly working for him in a cage.”

“Why are you doing all of this for me, Cisco?”

“That's what superheroes do, Mack.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is kind of short and choppy, but I needed to get some background stuff in for the rest of the story.

On Mack's third day at S.T.A.R. Labs she got to witness what happened when Barry had to go stop a robbery in progress. Cisco was all adrenaline, excitement, and awe. Caitlin was a ball of nerves and worry. And she got to meet Iris.

“Iris West, I'm reporter at CCPN.” she said when she introduced herself. 

“Mack. I'm the current Meta-Mess here at S.T.A.R. Labs.” Mack replied, shaking Iris' hand.

“Meta-Mess?”

“Team Flash is trying to help me out of a mess that my powers got me into.” she elaborated.

When Barry came whooshing back in he gave Cisco a rundown of how everything turned out, and Caitlin tried to clean some cuts on his arm before they healed. Mack took a seat next to Cisco and watched as Iris lectured Barry about being more careful when he was out 'superheroing'.

“Interesting...” Mack murmered, and Cisco leaned in close to her to ask “What's interesting?”

“These two, are they seeing each other?”

“Ha!” Cisco laughed. “If only it were that simple.”

“Why isn't it?”

“Barry has been in love with Iris since like the sixth grade or something. But Iris was engaged to someone else until recently.”

“What happened?”

“He died last year. During the singularity thing that happened.” Cisco told her.

“Ohhh. I see it now.” Mack said.

“See what?”

“I can't tell you.”

“What? Why not?” Cisco asked, and Mack laughed before turning to face him fully. “I've decided that there have to be rules when it comes to my abilities.” she told him seriously.

“What kinds of rules?”

“I try not to announce a person's feelings in front of anyone else. It's unfair enough that people usually can't hide things from me, so I don't want to make it worse by broadcasting everyone's feelings to anyone who might be around.”

“That seems fair, I guess.” Cisco told her. “But that doesn't mean that you can't just tell me what's going on over there... I mean, I am Barry's bestie. He's probably going to tell me anyway.”

“And it's his prerogative to tell you those things. Not mine.”

“Are there any other rules?”

“Absolutely. I don't get involved in matters of the heart. Another trick of mine is that I can tell when two people are meant to be together. I can just feel it when they're together. But that doesn't make it my place to tell people that they should or shouldn't be together.”

“Wait. Are you telling me that soulmates are an actual thing?” Cisco asked. “Could you tell me who my soulmate is?”

“Only if I saw you both in the same in the same room. But that doesn't mean that I would. Because I probably wouldn't.”

“Why not?”

“Take any happy and in love couple. If I tell them they're soulmates they get complacent. They think that if they're meant to be together they won't have to work at the relationship, and that is the best way to ruin a relationship. All relationships take work, whether you're soulmates or not. And if you tell someone that the person that they are in love with ho makes them incredibly happy isn't their soulmate they'll end the relationship and try to find the person who is. But they may never find their soulmate, and it doesn't mean that the relationship that they threw away couldn't have been a very fulfilling lifelong happy partnership.”

Cisco thought about that for a moment, and decided that it made sense. It wasn't fair to meddle in someone else's relationship, and he decided not ask her whether Barry and Iris were soulmates. He didn't want to put her in that position. “Maybe that particular ability of yours shouldn't be public knowledge. Maybe it should just stay between us.” 

“I agree.” she told him, getting out of her chair. “Thank you for understanding.”

She started to walk away but Cisco had just one thing that he wanted to know about the soulmate thing. “Can you tell if someone is your soulmate?”

“I have no idea.” 

*

 

“I think we should get a puppy.” Cisco announced on Mack's third full day at S.T.A.R. Labs. Everyone was in the cortex working on their own thing; Barry was reading the newspaper, and Caitlin was going over some old notes on other Metas she had gotten samples from, and Mack was drinking a cup of coffee next to Cisco. 

“What?” Caitlin and Barry asked in unison.

“A puppy. We should get one for the lab.” Cisco repeated. “Now hear me out before you both tell me that you hate another one of my ideas. We all spend more time here than we do at home, and at least one of us is here ninety percent of the time. When we aren't here we could take turns bring the puppy home with us. Plus dogs are super fun to have around and can really help reduce stress, which is something we all need in our lives. And also I never got to have one growing up because Dante was allergic and I really want one.”

“It could add to the security of the place when it grew up, too.” Mack agreed.

“Absolutely!” 

“It could also destroy my medical bay, and ruin a lot of very expensive equipment.” Caitlin countered.

“And it would be in danger when it was here. If a Meta got in here and the puppy got in his way it could be killed.” Barry said, with a very grim look.

“You guys suck.” Cisco said, sinking low into his chair at his defeat.

“Why don't you get a dog for yourself?” Mack asked him after Barry and Caitlin went back to what they were doing.

“I'd love to, but I'm always here. I wouldn't be able to take care of one.” he told her sullenly.

“I'm sorry, Cisco. I know how difficult loneliness can be to escape.” Mack told him in a low and soothing voice.

“I'm not-”

“You don't have to deny it, I'm feeling it too.” she told him, placing her hand on his shoulder. “Maybe you should try getting out for a bit today with Barry. Go... do something fun that guys do together? I don't really know what, but it might be good to just get away from the lab for a bit.”

At that idea Cisco smiled. He looked Mack up and down for a moment and then announced “Field Trip time!”

 

*

 

An hour later they were joined by Iris and getting ready to go to the Central City Mall. “I think this is a very bad idea.” Mack told them all. “I shouldn't be in public right now, and if you all come with me you're all going to be in danger as well.”

“I promise that I will do frequent perimeter checks and look for anything out of the ordinary or anyone with weapons.” Barry told her.

“And it's a lot more difficult to try and abduct someone in a large group like this. Especially when you're with The Flash.” Iris added.

“And what if they follow us back here?” Mack asked.

“They can't get in. I've triple checked the security systems, and added new prevention methods.” Cisco told her.

“And I got you this.” Caitlin said, handing Mack a cell phone. “All of our numbers are in there, as well as Detective West's”

“And I added a panic button on it with improved GPS, just like we all have on ours, so if you get abducted just hit this icon on your home screen and we'll get an alert so that we can find you.” Cisco told her with a tone that combined confidence and comfort. “You need some clothes that don't say S.T.A.R. Labs on them, and you need to get some fresh air. I promise you'll be safe.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took a while, I started reading An All Too Jagged Snowflake by RedHead and it took over my entire week. You guys should check it out.
> 
> But here it is!

The entire drive to the Central Mall was a debate about fashion between Caitlin and Iris. Mack was sitting in the front, next to Cisco who was driving, and every once in a while she would look over to grin at him, obviously as amused as he was about the whole thing. He could tell that she was still nervous, but she looked like she was enjoying herself nevertheless. 

At the mall Iris took the lead, this obviously being her territory. “We should stop by Forever 21 first, get a few tops and maybe some jeans. Then we can move on to White House|Black Market to get a statement piece or two,” Iris said, and Caitlin agreed. “Then we'll find a place for some accessories, and finish with your hair at the Salon. That should cover everything.”

“Accessories? Hair? We're doing a whole thing?” Cisco asked. “I thought we were buying a couple t shirts and some jeans!”

“Dude. Do not try and stop Iris when she's shopping. In high school she'd do these little make over things with her friends all the time, and Joe would make me go with them. If you get in the way she'll just take even longer.” Barry laughed.

“Trust me, Cisco. This girl is serious. This is happening whether we want it to or not” Mack told him with a smile. She looked like she was starting to relax and have fun though, and he knew that she probably hadn't had any fun in a long while, so he let it go. “Okay, fine. The whole thing. But you really don't need it.” He told Mack. And it was true. She was a beautiful woman, especially now that she was smiling so much. His comment made her smile turn almost shy, and he wished that he could feel her emotions in that moment.

The afternoon was actually a lot of fun, even though Cisco would have rather been at the Microsoft store to check out the XBox One S. Iris hated most of what he picked out (“That isn't right for Mack” she kept saying), but when Mack saw him eyeing a t shirt that said 'I <3 NERDS' she laughed and grabbed one off the rack. The best part was the mini fashion shows he got to be a part of just outside the dressing rooms at each store. He got to see her come out in all of the clothes that everyone picked. Some of it Mack obviously wasn't comfortable in, like the very short and very low cut romper (“What even is a 'romper'?” He had asked Barry) that Iris picked, or the much too dressy blouse and skirt combo that Caitlin had picked out. In the end Mack got the t shirt Cisco had picked, a couple of pairs of skinny jeans, a Flash shirt that Barry was appalled by, a jean jacket, and a few other tops, and a dress that Caitlin and Iris insisted on.

After they were done with the shopping Barry ran out to drop the shopping bags off in the van, and the girls went into the bathroom to help Mack decide what she wanted to wear for the rest of the day. When they came back Mack was dressed in black skinny jeans, the denim jacket, and the 'I <3NERDS' shirt. Cisco grinned. “You look like a whole new person.” he said. 

“Clothes can do that.” Mack laughed.

“I didn't mean the clothes. You look happy. And happy looks absolutely gorgeous on you.”

Mack blushed and pushed her long hair behind her ear. Barry came back and they started walking to the salon, and that's when Iris (not so) subtly pushed Mack closer to Cisco, he laughed and held out his arm for Mack to take. She took his arm, and he placed his hand on hers. 

That's when he saw it...

“What's wrong, Cisco?” Mack asked, stopping just in front of him, serious concern on her face, fear in her voice. That's when everyone looked at him, worried expression obvious on his face. “We gotta go. Now.” he said. “Barry, you run Mack back to the lab. I'll drive everyone else back in the van.” When nobody moved, Cisco yelled. “Go, Barry! Now!”

 

*

 

Cisco ran into the cortex when he got back to the lab, heaving a sigh of relief when he saw Barry and Mack sitting there, safe. “What the hell happened, Cisco?” Mack asked, jumping up from her seat and walking over to him as Caitlin and Iris came in. “When you were touching me I... I saw something. It was a vision, I guess. I saw a big fight at the salon with some angry looking chick, and two big dudes.” Cisco told Barry. “The girl I saw was definitely a Meta, Barr. When Mack tried to run this Meta pulled the water from the faucets in the salon and sent it at Mack. It was surrounding her, man. I don't think Mack could even...”

“Think Mack could what, Cisco?” Barry asked.

“I don't even know if Mack could breathe in that water bubble.”

Cisco knew that Mack could feel his fear, and the tension that was visibly coming off of Barry. He expected to see terror in her eyes, but her expression became blank. She was looking in his direction, but he didn't think she was actually seeing him. “He's surfacing new Metas to catch me.” she said. “He's feeling desperate to get me back. And angry. Murderous. He probably knows by now that I got away.”

“Are you tapping into his emotions right now?” Caitlin asked, and Mack nodded her head. 

“Is he nearby?” Barry wanted to know.

“No. I think he's at one of the safe houses probably.”

“You can feel someone so far away?” Caitlin asked. 

“The more time I spend with someone...” Mack started, turning away from everyone to walk toward the computers. “I can learn how that person feels each emotion, and I become more tuned to their specific emotions. I spent seven months as that son-of-a-bitch's pet Meta. By his side at every major meeting, every business deal. Almost every day. I can tell you what he's feeling at any given time, no matter where he is. He's always there, invading my space even when I haven't been in the same room with him for nearly a week. He's always there, violating every fucking thing that I feel like a bad taste at the back of your tongue that can't get rid of no matter what or how much you drink.”

Everyone just stared at Mack. This was new information. Cisco couldn't imagine how that felt. How could she function? Was that why she hadn't been sleeping? He felt the urge to go over to her, to comfort her, but as he decided to take a step toward her she said “I don't need, or want your pity, Cisco.”

“It's not... pity Mack. It's-”

“Are you really trying to lie to me? About this?” she asked, turning to face him with a tear running down her cheek. The anger in her voice was obvious, but there was something else there too. Fear.

“I just...” Cisco sighed and started toward her. “I care, okay? I care about how you're feeling. I care about you.”

Mack closed her eyes, and wrapped her arms around herself. “Don't.” she whispered.

 

Cisco remembered what Mack had told them the first time they met. About how that mob bastard killed everyone that she cared about. He knew that she was telling him not to care about her because she didn't want anything to happen to him. He smiled at her when she finally looked up at him with wet eyes. “Mack, I can't help it. I just care, okay?” She shook her head and wiped furiously at her eyes. “Don't. You should keep your distance, or this is going to end badly. None of you should care too much about me, okay?”

“It's too late for that.” Iris told her from the other side of the room.

“We all care about you, Mack.” Barry said. “And we won't let anything happen to you. I promise.”

“And the reason Barry is so good at keeping those promises is because he cares so much about the people he makes promises to.” Caitlin added.

 

“We can't help it, Mack.” Cisco repeated, stepping closer now and placing a hand on Mack's arm. “You're easy to care about. And you're definitely worth caring about.” Cisco couldn't imagine the kind of psychological damage that had been done to the woman in front of him who was trying so hard not to cry. But he didn't focus on that. He thought about the late nights they spent together talking, and how easily she had opened up to him in the past few days. He focused on all of the positive things he had been feeling for this woman since they met, and eventually pain started to leave her face, and she smiled at him. That was when he realized that he was started to feel something for her, and he knew that he should probably be embarrassed since he still hardly knew her, but the way her eyes searched his in that moment gave him a boost of confidence. He pulled her close and hugged her for a long moment.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mack's POV, and mounting emotions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if you like/don't like Mack's POV. I can either do more from her, or leave it just at this chapter.

5:23pm  
Cisco: Big Belly Burger?

5:24pm  
Mack: Loaded fries?

5:24pm  
Cisco: See you in 20

 

*

 

Mack was just getting out of the shower when she felt Cisco arrive. He was feeling tentatively happy, and it made Mack smile. She walked into her makeshift bedroom and Cisco was taking the food out of the bags and placing them in the middle of the bed. “I got us chocolate shakes, too.” he told her with a self satisfied grin, but when he looked up at her he froze. She hadn't taken her clothes into the locker room with her because she hadn't intended to stay in there so long, so she was only in a towel. She could feel the heat that was growing in him (and not just in his face) upon seeing her wet and without much covering her. A sudden arousal that was making her skin as warm as his. “I'm just gonna... get my clothes.” she told him, grabbing the pile of clothes from the top of the filing cabinet that she was now using as a dresser.

When she came back into the room wearing her new Flash tee and sweats she ignored Cisco's blush and embarrassment. Commenting on it would only make things more uncomfortable for him, and if she pretended that she didn't know they could move past it.

“Why didn't you tell me you could vibe the future?” She asks.

“I didn't know that I could.” he told her. “It was actually pretty cool. You know, aside from the whole situation.” he smiled. “Other than when I'm sleeping I've never vibed anything without the goggles before.”

“So your powers are growing, then?”

“I guess. Barry and I have been theorizing about what I'll be able to do when I get a better grip on them, and he definitely called that one. I figured out that I could see into the past after dreaming about another timeline that Barry lived through before going back in time and changing it. He figured I'd be able to see the future, if I could see pasts that haven't actually happened. Caitlin thinks that I could probably do a lot more with vibrations and stuff, that I'll probably find a way to use my powers defensively.”

Mack can feel that he's simultaneously excited and very nervous about his powers. Something about them scares him, but she doesn't know what. “One thing that I've learned about all of these Metas is that it's kind of like Erskine's Super Soldier Serum.” Mack told him, and she noticed how she suddenly had all of Cisco's attention again. “They tend to pull you to the extreme of what you were before you discovered them. For some people that can mean that they become even more deranged and power hungry, and for others that can mean that they become pillars of good. They become heroes.”

“Like Barry.” Cisco says.

“Like you.” She tell him, and she feels his surprised confusion strongly. “You're a hero Cisco. You've spent all of this time helping The Flash... helping people. You're just as much of a hero as Barry is. Maybe more.”

“I'm not the one out there stopping super villains and putting my life on the line for innocent people.” Cisco tells her. She can feel the way he puts himself down, and stops himself from believing how important he is. It makes her frown.

“No, you just do anything and everything that you can to help him, and let him have all of the glory for it. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, Cisco, I think you're amazing. But even if everybody out there that your team helps doesn't get to see how important the things you do are I hope you don't forget about the contributions you make, okay? You play just as important a part as Barry does in keeping this city safe.”

Mack knew that she was making him uncomfortable, so she decided to switch gears. “And even though Barry was the one who got me away from Ovechkin, you, Cisco, are the one who keeps me feeling safe here.” She felt a small boost in his confidence before she noticed his smile.

“So, what you're saying is that Barry might be The Flash, but I'm your hero?” he asked, his smile turning into a cocky grin.

“Since that first night that you stayed and babysat me.” she laughed. She felt the tension in Cisco ease as he laughed with her.

After dinner they decided to watch some crappy movie on Netflix, and instead of Cisco taking the other bed in the room Mack asked him to stay in hers. “Are you sure?” he asked, confusion and hopefulness very present in him at that moment. 

“You're very calming to be around.” she told him. He smiled brightly and kicked his shoes off before they climbed under the covers, still sitting against the wall with pillows behind them. He placed an arm around her shoulders and as they settled in she wasn't sure if the butterflies she felt were hers or his.

 

*

 

When Mack woke the next morning Cisco wasn't there with her, which made her nervous. She made her way to the lounge and found him there making coffee and singing to himself.

“-And the world... will be a better place, and the wooorld will be a better place... For you... And me... You just wait... and see-”

“Is there anything you can't do?” Mack asked, interrupting him. He looked up and smiled at her. “Um... no. I don't think so.” he told her with a chuckle.

“And yet you still stay humble. You're a real gem, Cisco.” Mack teased. They laughed together for a moment as Cisco poured two mugs of coffee. He added just one spoon of sugar to one and then a ton of cream and sugar to the other. “How do you drink your coffee like that?” Mack asked. “It's basically sugar and milk at that point.”

“Exactly. It's delicious. Not like that bitter black stuff you drink.” he said with a disgusted look. They walked into the cortex together and Cisco went to his favorite roller chair to check something on his computer.

“So what do we have planned for today?” 

“I have some research to work on today, actually. I'm working on some power dampening cuffs for the CCPD and Barry that'll make apprehending Metas easier. I'm trying to recalibrate them, because right now when you put them on you get a giant shock and that's not so fun.”

“Need any test subjects?” Mack asked, but as soon as she did she felt apprehension coming off of Cisco in waves. “Or I could just... leave you alone. See if Caitlin needs anything from me today.”

Mack felt Cisco's unique combination of regret and sincerity before he rushed to say “No, no. I don't mind having you around while I work. I actually kind of like it... you let me explain everything and talk my way through problems. I just don't know if it would be a good idea to test the cuffs on you, I don't want you getting hurt.”

“Don't worry about that. I'm sure it'll be fine. Besides, I'd actually kind of like to try them. See what it's like to only feel my own emotions again, you know?”

Cisco nodded, feeling something very similar to pity that left a much more bitter taste in Mack's mouth than any cup of coffee ever could. They spent the next couple of hours in Cisco's workshop while he made some alterations to two sets of high tech looking bracelets. Mack let him talk, listening while she looked through some of the other gadgets that were half finished and laying on the desks. Mack liked listening to Cisco talk about his work. He filled the space with so much passion and contentedness that she felt as comfortable in those moments as she did when they shared a meal together. Cisco's company had been so good for her. His innocent and positive outlook in things bled through into the atmosphere around him. She knew that he was developing an attraction to her, and she knew when she was alone that she was beginning to feel something very similar. It terrified her if she let herself think about it, but right now she was ignoring those thoughts. She didn't want to think about what would happen to him if the mobster that wanted her found out about him.

After Caitlin arrived that afternoon and they exchanged pleasantries Cisco brought Mack down to a large room on a lower level. The floor and walls were padded, and there was a corner sectioned off by what was probably thick plexiglass. “Barry trains here sometimes, and I have that corner for less volatile experimentation.” he told her.

Mack could feel his nerves about testing the energy dampeners. It was like a tightness in her chest that she couldn't place a reason for in herself. She placed a hand on Cisco's arm and turned to face him. “Don't worry Cisco,” she reassured. “I'm sure you have the energy dampeners figured out.”

“How can you be so sure?” he asked, looking into her eyes.

“Because I know how confident you were before we came down here. Don't second guess yourself. You're a brilliant and talented man. I have faith in you.” Mack could feel the pride in him strongly, but there was something else there as well. It was soft and warm in her chest now, and she chose to let that feeling fill her. She smiled a shy sort of smile, to let him know that it was okay, and then she decided to take a risk and kissed him lightly on his cheek. His responding smile was huge and genuine. His dimples were prominent on his cheeks, along with a light blush, and all nerves were left behind as they moved over to the testing corner.

Mack held her wrists up in front of Cisco, and he placed each of the cuffs on her gently. She stepped behind the plexiglass and into the center of the square room. “Okay, how do I turn them on?”

“I have the remote here. I'll count to three and hit the button. One... Two... Three!”

A bluish light was emanating from the cuffs and Mack took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She felt calm. No nerves. No excitement. None of what had been filling the room before. She started to smile. She couldn't feel anything but her own mounting excitement.

And then she heard a noise that sounded halfway between a crack and a pop, and when she opened her eyes the cuffs were smoking. “Oh shit!” Cisco yelled and hit the button on the remote to release the cuffs. They fell to the floor and concern and disappointment hit her so hard she stumbled back a step.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I took over a month to update, I'M SORRY! My laptop died and that had almost all of chapter 7 on it, and then I got a new laptop and had to wait for my husband to transfer my works onto this one. But here it is - longer than usual, and with some FLUFF!
> 
> ALSO:  
> I will be scheduling my updates from now on. Every other Saturday I will get a chapter up!  
> And if you want to bug me about updating more please feel free to comment, or go to my Tumblr and be as annoying as you can! (the more feedback and requests for more chapter I get the more likely I am to carve out writing time)
> 
> https://dont-fkn-know.tumblr.com/

After testing the cuffs for Cisco he went back upstairs to fix whatever the hell had decided to try and catch fire in them. He had been angrily replacing and fine tuning the wiring for hours while Mack went back to her makeshift room. He felt a little guilty about making her feel unwelcome in the lab, but he couldn’t control his frustration at himself for letting her try them before they were finished. What if they had caught fire? Mack could have been really hurt. She could be in the Med Room right now with Caitlin trying to treat burns that would have been his fault. It was completely unacceptable.

“Knock, knock.” Caitlin said, walking over to where Cisco was sat hunched over the cuffs.

“Sorry Cait, I’m a little busy right now.” he said, hearing the frustration pouring from his voice.

“I know you want to get these cuffs finished, Cisco, but I think it’s time for a break. Maybe you and Mack could have an early dinner with me? I could go get some Big Belly Burger.” she offered.

Cisco honestly hated hearing that tone from Caitlin. The tone that said ‘you’ve done something wrong, but i’m trying to pretend you didn’t and not judge you.’ It was classic Caitlin to pretend that he hadn’t almost hurt someone just so that she wouldn’t hurt his feelings. It was the same tone she had used after he told Captain Cold about Barry’s secret identity. He took a deep breath before replying, and told her that he would order some food later because he was planning on staying all night to finish the cuffs.  
“Cisco…”

“Don’t ‘Cisco’ me. I have to get these working for Joe so that he can hand them out to the other members of the taskforce. Besides, Mack probably doesn’t want to be around me right now.”

“I get the impression that Mack always wants to be around you, why would right now make a difference?”

“Oh I don’t know. Maybe because I let her try the cuffs before they were ready and nearly burnt her hands off.” he sighed, setting down his tools and leaning back in the chair. When he looked at Caitlin again she had a skeptical look. “Plus I sort of snapped at her when she offered to try and help fix them. She left after that.”

“Cisco, I don’t think she’s mad about the cuffs. She offered to test them for you knowing that something could go wrong, and she wasn’t hurt by them.”

Cisco closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. He was getting a tension headache and his neck and shoulders were really sore. “But I was an ass.”

“She knows that your reaction was caused by stress and frustration. And I’m sure she can feel your guilt all the way in her room.”

He knew that Caitlin was right. She was annoyingly right about most things, and she certainly understood women better than he did.

“I should go apologize, huh?”

“Probably. And maybe try to… make it up to her somehow?”

\  
“Make it up to her?” he asked. He knew Caitlin, and the smile she was trying to hide meant she was up to something.

“Yeah, maybe offer to take her out for dinner sometime.”

“She can’t go out. Did you forget what happened when we went to the mall? Why would I ask her to go out again?”

“Because going out is kind of crucial when it comes to asking someone out.”

Cisco thought about denying that he wanted to ask Mack out. For about a tenth of a second before realizing that Caitlin would just see right through that anyway. She was his best friend, she knew him. But what was he supposed to do? Ask Mack to risk her life again just for a date? Offer to let Barry chaperone them to keep her safe? Those were terrible options.

But then he started to get an idea…

 

*

 

Everything was all set. Caitlin had been distracting Mack all day with tests and research and theories while he had been on one of the lower levels clearing out a storage room and redecorating. Caitlin promised to get Mack down here in exactly two minutes, and Barry had just sped in with the four pans of food that he had prepared last night and let cook in slow cookers all day long at his apartment. He set the table, and lit the candles. The lights were dimmed (just a bit, he didn’t want it too feel too much like ’mood lighting’). And now he was just standing there, a suit jacket over his ‘Live Long and Prosper’ shirt, waiting.

“Well… This explains why Caitlin and Iris wanted to play dress up.” Mack said, as she walked in the doorway.

She was wearing the black dress that Iris picked out when they went shopping, and a pair of red heels. The dress had thick straps over her shoulders, and was low cut (showing off her not inconsiderable cleavage). Her long hair was down, and curled just a bit at the bottom, and she was wearing dark eyeliner and a light colored lipstick. She looked absolutely incredible.

Cisco realized that he still hadn’t said anything, but he couldn’t make his mouth work. He swallowed thickly and tried to stop staring.

“The dress and heels are kind of over the top, I know, but it was fun letting Iris make me up…”

“No!” Cisco said, finding his voice again. “You look… amazing doesn’t really cover it.”

Mack smiled her small shy smile, and blushed a bit. Cisco remembered his plan then, and moved toward the set table. He pulled out a chair and Mack sat in it.

“I wanted to make up for how I acted yesterday. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that. So I made dinner to apologize.”

“What did you make?”

He brought the pans of food over to the table one at a time and explained what each dish was, letting Mack serve herself each time before adding food to his own plate. He was particularly proud of the chicken dish, it was his Mama’s recipe and one of his favorites. When Mack took her first bite of the chicken Cisco watched, and was not disappointed by her reaction. Her eyes closed and she 'mmm’d the whole time she was chewing.

“That is a culinary masterpiece.” she announced.

Between the dress and taste-gasm Cisco was feeling a little warm, and he spoke quickly to try and distract Mack from the way he was feeling and the thoughts that he was trying not to have. “It’s one of my favorites. Takes all day to cook, and about an hour of prep, but it’s so worth it.”

Mack looked at him for a moment, a question in her eyes. But Cisco didn’t have empath powers or telepathy, so he had to wait and see if she’d ask.

“How long were you making all of this happen?” she eventually asked, her voice quiet.

“Oh. Since last night, sort of?” he told her, laughing a bit seeing her eyes go wide. “I just went grocery shopping last night, and borrowed a slow cooker from Caitlin, and one from Barry. I spent about an hour and a half getting the food ready and then just let it cook all day at home.”

“And all… this?” she asked, gesturing to the table and the room as a whole.

“Just today. It was being used for storage so I just had to relocate some things and bring in what I needed for dinner.”

Mack seemed to be thinking for a moment. She took a sip of her wine (a chardonnay that Caitlin had suggested) and gave Cisco a look that made him feel like he was in his underwear and she was reading his thoughts.

“This is by far the sweetest… and most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me.” she said.

Cisco cleared his throat. How was he supposed to respond? He wanted this to be a date, but if she didn’t want it to be a date he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.

“Don’t be nervous.” She told him, moving her hand across the table to rest on his. “It can be hard for me to separate my feelings from other people’s when I’m with them so often, but I realized last night when I was alone that the things that you feel when you’re with me are the same things that I feel when I’m not with you… if that makes sense?”

Cisco smiled and stroked his thumb over Mack’s. “Does that mean that after dinner I can kiss you goodnight?”

Mack blushed deeply. “It means that I hope that you do.”

 

*

 

After enjoying the most romantic (and delicious) meal of her life Mack started to feel a lot of nervous energy coming off of Cisco. She thought that after her response to Cisco’s flirty question about a goodnight kiss he wouldn’t have a reason to be nervous, but she just ignored it as they chatted. Cisco had offered to walk Mack “home” after cleaning up from dinner and taking the leftovers to the breakroom. As they got closer to her room (which Caitlin said used to be a storage closet attached to a locker room, but when they became Team Flash they repurposed it into a room for everyone to sleep if they couldn’t get out of the lab) Cisco became more and more nervous.

“What’s on your mind?” she asked, placing a hand on Cisco’s arm. Touching had always been a easy way to tune into one person’s deeper, and more complex feelings.

“Well…” Cisco sighed. “Now that we’re… something it might be weird if I offered to stay the night with you, right? I mean, not that anything would happen! I would be a perfect gentleman if you want me to stay, but do you really need me to anymore? You seemed fine this morning even though I went home last night. But also don’t think that I was staying with you out of obligation or anything, I know you called it babysitting the other night, but it’s not really like that for me. I liked staying here with you. I mean, obviously, you could feel at least that much, I’m sure. Not that I was doing it because I was getting some skeezy enjoyment out of -”

Mack laughed. Cisco was talking too fast and obviously trying not to say the wrong thing without really knowing what the right thing was. “It’s okay Cisco. I know. Stay calm.” she joked, giving his arm a gentle squeeze. The worry on his face dissipated, and and he turned to fully face her. “I was okay last night. I was comfortable by myself because I’ve spent enough time with you and Barry and Caitlin at this point that I would be able to feel it if something happened to you. You don’t have to stay if it feels weird for you now, I will totally understand, but I trust that you aren’t the kind of guy that would ever pressure a woman into anything she didn’t want, so if you want to stay, on any night and not just tonight, you’re more than welcome to. I enjoy the company.”

Cisco smiled at Mack and took a little step closer. She noticed how his eyes went to her lips when he smiled, and then how he unconsciously licked his lips. She tilted her head ever so slightly.

Cisco kissed Mack, lightly at first, then a little more passionately. This felt so different from all of the other kisses that she had experienced in her life. She felt like a little part of her merged with Cisco while they kissed. His lips were full and so soft. His hand came up and held her cheek. And it felt like… magic.

When he pulled away Mack kept her eyes closed for a few seconds, wondering if the kiss was so intense and full of… something because she had kissed Cisco, or because she had kissed a Metahuman. Or if maybe it was because it was the first consensual kiss that she had experience since she became a Meta.

Cisco was smiling when she opened her eyes, and his hand was still holding her cheek. He was feeling excited and relieved and… excited…

Mack could almost feel the heat pooling in Cisco’s belly. She could definitely feel the want, and she could see it in his eyes, and she knew that he must see the same in her eyes.

Cisco kissed Mack again. It went deeper this time, and when his tongue met hers a small moan escaped her. Normally that would embarrass her, but feeling the way Cisco reacted to it emboldened her. Her hands moved to his chest, and his other hand took hold of her hip.

Eventually they were pressed flush against each other, their kisses far past gentle. They pulled apart, desperately needing to take a full breath. Mack could still feel the slowly growing bulge in Cisco’s pants and she really wanted to help him out with that… but she knew that was a bad idea. This was a first date, and she had never been the kind of girl who slept around, or put out without really taking the time to get to know someone.

“It’s… getting late.” Cisco said taking a step back, and moving the hand at Mack’s cheek to her hip.

“It is. And I should probably shower before bed. You would not believe the amount of hair spray that Iris used.” Mack laughed.

“If it’s alright, I think I’ll go home again tonight. I have dishes that need to be cleaned and returned to their owners.”

Mack smiled. “That’s fine Cisco. Goodnight.” she said. Mack kissed him on the cheek, and went into the room.

She could not stop smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know how I did?
> 
> Next chapter will start with SMUT so be ready :)
> 
> Visit my Tumblr to give feedback or make any requests:  
> https://dont-fkn-know.tumblr.com/


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, getting to a little smut!  
> Warnings for masturbation and accidental voyeurism in this one (skip to the first break in the chapter to avoid it).

Cisco couldn’t stop thinking about how his date with Mack ended the whole way home. Kissing her was unlike anything that he had ever experienced. There was definitely a deep connection between them before the kiss, but when their lips met it was electric, like they were two halves of a whole coming together for the first time. 

When he got to his apartment he put all of the dirty dishes in the sink. He thought about cleaning up (basically living at the labs for a week had really taken a toll on the cleanliness of his apartment), but he decided that it could wait until the morning. Right now he had more… pressing matters to attend to. Namely: the ache in his pants that had been worsening since their kiss.

Cisco stripped off all of his clothes on his way to bed, leaving them strewn throughout his small apartment. He climbed into bed, over the covers, put some lotion on his hand and started slowly stroking himself. 

He had been completely hard the entire way home, thinking about how Mack looked in that dress…  _ god, she really had incredible breasts… _

He thought about how full they looked and how they felt pressed to his chest, and how her hips felt in his hands. He thought about her lips and how good they would feel on his cock right now instead of his hand. How hot and wet her mouth would be. How her tongue might feel sliding up the underside of him. Her eyes were always so intense, and he imagined them looking up at him from between his legs.

_ “Fuck.” _

He wanted her to be the one getting him off. He wanted to feel that little moan around his cock. He wasn’t exactly small. Not very long, but he was thick. He wondered if she could fit him entirely in her mouth. If she would gag a little when the tip hit her throat, and what those painted lips would look like wrapped around him as she tried to swallow him down.

Would she like sucking him off? He bet that she would. He bet that her powers would make it almost as enjoyable for her,  and that she’d get off on making him come.  _ “God…” _ he moaned aloud.

Then he thought about her reaching between her own legs as she sat between his. His hand started to speed up now, thinking about her rubbing her own pussy while she bobbed up and down on his cock. “ _ Yesss…” _

He started to get close, imagining Mack rubbing herself through her panties. The sounds he imagined her making. He concentrated on using his vibing powers to… well…  _ vibrate _ . He half concentrated on his fantasy, and half on the vibrations of the universe to actually vibrate the air around his balls.  _ God that felt so fucking good… _ His concentration split evenly between his thoughts of Mack and his powers - 

_ then he could see her, laying on her bed with one hand on her breast, thumb slowly rubbing her nipple, and her other hand between her legs. “Mmm... yeah…”  _

_ He could practically hear her panting.  _

_ “Fuck… Cisco…” _

\- and he came with a loud groan, and his mind’s eye saw Mack coming as well, whispering his name and shuddering…

Then his eyes flew open. He had seen Mack in her bed at the lab. He had seen her with her hair still curled and spread over her pillow. He had seen her almost naked with her hand inside her black panties. That wasn’t a fantasy. He had  _ seen her. _ And  _ heard her _ . What had started as a fantasy he was pretty sure had somehow turned into a vibe. A vibe of her touching herself at the same as he was. 

It felt like a creepy invasion of privacy, and he instantly felt guilty about it. He felt guilty because it was the best orgasm he had experienced in a very long time, and even though it was an accident this time he was thinking about what he might see if he tried to do it again.

When Cisco climbed into the shower a few minutes later he kept the water as cold as he could handle. He didn’t want to risk vibing Mack again if he was masterbating in the shower, so he just washed up and went then went to bed.

 

 

*

 

The next morning Cisco got up extra early and cleaned his apartment. He had his earbuds in playing “Obvious” by Hey Monday on repeat (and at full volume - completely ignoring his phone’s warning about damaging his hearing). He danced around while he swept his floors and did laundry, and he sang at the top of his lungs while doing his dishes.

He was in a great mood when he got to S.T.A.R. Labs, passing out pastries to everyone who was there. When Mack came into the cortex  she was carrying his “World’s Best Engineer” mug  full of black coffee, and wearing her “I <3 NERDS” shirt, which only made Cisco’s smile brighter. He had decided that morning to put the weirdness of the vibe last night into the ‘not worth the worry lines’ file in his mind, and he kissed Mack on the cheek as she took a cheese danish from him.

“Good morning, handsome.” Mack said, smiling as she took a bite of the pastry.

“You two are in good moods this morning.” Iris said, giving Cisco a knowing look. “Do anything fun with your Friday night?”

Cisco knew he was blushing, and grinning like a madman, and Mack was hiding her smile behind the mug of coffee. They knew what Iris was implying, and while it hadn’t actually gone further than a goodnight kiss last night, he was very okay with not correcting her.

“Now that we’re all here,” Joe said, getting everyone’s attention and moving to the center of the room. “I have news on Ovechkin.”

Cisco felt the way that Mack tensed up when Joe said it. He set the box of food down and placed his hand on her lower back. Mack took a long sip of coffee, snuggled into Cisco’s side and then spoke. “Bad news.” she said flatly. Her voice had the hollow sound in it again, just like the first time Cisco met her.

“Yes. And good news.” Joe sighed and rubbed his brow with his right hand. “The good news is that we know what Ovechkins really after. We placed a detective undercover and apparently Ovechkin found him trustworthy. We know Ovechkin’s endgame. That’s the bad news. He’s gaining control of more metahumans because he’s preparing to move in on everyone’s territory. He wants to take over all o’ the businesses and territory that’s currently being held by the Darbynian’s, what’s left of the Santini’s, and what the Rogues have claimed from the Santini’s.”

“He wants it all?” Caitlin asked.

“Wait,  _ wait _ . The  _ Rogues _ have territory?” Barry asked.

“Seems like it. Listen Barr, this guy means business, okay? We still don’t have a solid plan, so I do  _ not _ want you running in and getting even farther on this guy’s bad side, alright?” Joe warned.

“I won’t Joe. I know that this is important. If we mess it up once Ovechkin could get his hands on Mack again, and then we could all end up on his hit list.” Barry assured. He was using his Flash voice again, meaning he wanted everyone to pay attention to what he said next. He clenched his jaw, and Cisco was reminded of how envious he could sometimes get of his best bro. Barry had so much more than he realized. Barry had an amazing family that always supported him, he had that perfect boy-band look, he had his superpowers figured out, and he had that tall and trim runner’s body going for him. Why any of that came to mind right now Cisco didn’t know, but he pushed the envy aside and focused on the problem at hand.

“Well let’s start with what we know now.” Iris said, pulling a whiteboard to the center of the room.  _ Ovechkin _ she wrote at the top.  _ EndGame: Full Control of CC. _

Iris turned and looked at everyone, waiting for ideas. Cisco was rubbing soothing circles on Mack’s back, feeling the tension still mounting in her muscles. He made a mental note to help her relax later. “We know he’s recruiting Metas to prepare. He has Bol’ - the crazy telekinetic that tortures people. He has the super strength guy who I’ve decided to call DeathStroke -” Cisco told them.

“He’s your basic right hand man. He’s incredibly intelligent as well, and he isn’t loyal to Ovechkin. He’s only loyal to himself and his own best interest.” Mack cut in. “His name is Slade.”

“That’s real helpful information, Mack. Thank you.” Joe told her. His voice was full of praise, and his eyes and smile full of support. Joe really was great at the whole ‘Dad’ thing.

“Plus the little girl who can make people do what she wants. I never met her, but Ovechkin was really ‘excited to acquire her’.” Mack said. Then Cisco added “We’ll call her The Hypnotist,” with a smile.

Iris wrote it all down, and Barry looked it all over. “Do you think that you could get more specifics about the Metas from the undercover detective?” 

“I’ll try,  but this is a good start.” Joe said. “We all need to keep our focus on this problem. If we can take down Ovechkin we can keep Mack safe. And  Central City will be a whole lot safer too.”

“There’s one more.” Cisco said, and everyone turned to him. “The Meta that I vibed at the mall.”

Mack actually seemed less tense when Cisco said that. She set her danish down and placed her hand on his side, snuggling in closer to him. 

“Tsunami. She can manipulate water, but from what I saw I don’t think that she can just create it, which is a good thing. If we can keep her away from any large supplies of water she might not be too difficult to take down.”

“We should run some tests on what your powers can do in water, Barry, just to be safe.” Caitlin suggested, wearing that look that said she already had ideas.

“I’ve been thinking logistics on taking Ovechkin and his team down.” Mack told them, stepping away from Cisco. “Our best bet is to find a reason worthy of meeting with Ovechkin himself. Maybe we can get one of The Families to work with us, and have them send word to Ovechkin that they’re willing to sell off their territory to him. If we can make it convincing he’ll show up in person, and bring his fiercest assets with him. Not his entire organization, but his strongest and most loyal would have to be there to protect him. It’s the best way to take him down.”

“If we can manage to get one o’ The Families to agree to work with us that might just work.” Joe said, nodding to Mack before addressing the entire room. “Get a couple of our people on the inside o’ that meeting, and then get Barry and a whole SWAT Team to move in and surround the area once we get word that all the major players are accounted for. The only problem is gonna be gettin’ that help settin’ up a meeting.”

“And getting Captain Singh to agree to this whole thing.” Barry added.

“You let me worry about the Captain.” Joe told him.

Everyone left the cortex then, Joe and Barry heading to the precinct to see what Captain Singh thought, Iris heading to CCPN to try and do a little more research, Caitlin to her office to get started planning her tests for Barry, and Cisco moving to his rollie chair to sit down and find a place with as limited access to water as possible within the city limits for this meeting to take place.  

 

 

*

 

 

That week had been so tense at the lab. Mack could feel the stress that everyone was putting on themselves to make her plan for Ovechkin work. Joe and Barry were more stressed than anyone else, but Cisco was the most worried. Mack felt it every time she tuned into Cisco, which was almost constantly since their kiss last Friday. The connection between them had changed since then. She had spent enough time with him in the first few days after they met that she could tune into him even if he wasn’t near her, but since the kiss the connection had been stronger, and so much more intense. She could feel him any time she thought about him now, tuning into him wasn’t even a conscious effort anymore. It was almost like his emotions were her default now, like she had to put in a real effort  _ not _ to tune into him.

And she could feel  _ more _ now. She could feel the most complex emotions coming from him, where most people would have a strong base emotion mixed with something fuzzier, she knew when Cisco was feeling something as obscure as scepticism, or the briefest moment of even the slightest arousal. It was a little overwhelming.

The sudden increase in tension around the lab had her reeling as much as the sudden boost in her connection to Cisco. Mack could feel how on edge everyone was this past week, snapping at each other for little things, general annoyance whenever someone’s attention was taken from their task. It was really taking a toll on her, and something had to be done.

“Iris, I’m glad you stopped by.” Mack said Thursday evening, noticing Iris leaning against the other side of Cisco’s desk in the cortex. “I was hoping we could talk?”

“Of course,” Iris replied. “What’s up?”

Mack led her new friend out of the cortex and to her makeshift room before getting to her point. “I’ve noticed way too much tension this past week. I hate that it’s my fault.”

Iris sat next to Mack on her bed. “It’s not your fault, honey.” Iris assured her. “This is just how things get when everyone is trying to solve a big problem around here. Trust me.”

“Thanks, Iris. But I still feel responsible.” There was no point in lying about her emotions, and it wasn’t fair of her to do so. If she wanted to build real relationships with Team Flash, and a strong friendship with Iris she would have to be honest. 

Iris placed her hand over Mack’s and held it there. “I’m here if you want to talk about any of this.” She offered. Mack thanked her, but declined. “What I really want right now is a co-conspirator.” Mack said, a smile spreading on her face. Iris was surprised, and then excited. The mischievous grins they shared grew as they discussed a plan to cheer everyone up. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am actually keeping myself on this every other Saturday schedule, which is awesome! But do you know what would make it easier to update and post chapters on here? If I had an awesome beta for this one! Please comment or message me at dont-fkn-know.tumblr.com if you're interested (you'd get to read all of the chapters first, and make suggestions, and tell me when my writing is shit. it's super fun!)
> 
> Thanks for reading guys!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris and Mack put their surprise plan into action, and an even bigger surprise interrupts 
> 
> *crazy evil laughing*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HA! An entire day early! My son's birthday party is tomorrow so I figured I'd get this up early instead of late :)

 

Cisco was having the worst week. He was so done. Captain Singh called on Monday to lecture him about the importance of timeliness when he was contracted to design tech for the CCPD, and when he finally finished the energy dampening cuffs and delivered five sets of them to the precinct he got an earful from half of the Meta-Human Task Force about them being “glorified bracelets” because they weren’t attached like standard cuffs. On Wednesday he let out his frustration about  not having enough information to create any new gadgets to help with the plan on Joe, and that really did  _ not _ go over well (luckily Mack had stepped in and calmed both him and the detective after the yelling had begun). And today Cisco came in from grabbing some lunch to find that Barry was taking all of his frustrations out on Mack. Cisco was not going to allow that.

“There has to be more that you can tell us to help us win this fight. You were with them for  _ six months _ .” Barry insisted, hands gesturing in the air around his head. Mack’s eyes were hard, and she was clenching her jaw as she listened to the speedster’s tantrum.

“I’ve told you everything that  I can think of that’s relevant, Barry.” her voice a forced calm. “Just because I know more does not mean it’ll help.”

“Anything could help!”

“Barry!  _ Dude. _ What are you yelling at her for? She’s given us all of the information that she can about how Ovechkin operates.”

“It’s not enough, Cisco. We need more intel if we’re going to pull this off. And Mack knows more, she knows almost everything!”

“How exactly is my knowledge of how Ovechkin uses the docks to smuggle drugs into the city going to help with The Plan?” Mack asked, with her eyes closed as if in an attempt to remain calm.

Barry looked at Cisco, who was now next to Mack holding her hand and rubbing her back to calm her. He deflated. “I’m sorry, Mack.” he said. “I just feel like I need more information to make this plan work. It’s not your fault that we’ve made such little headway in getting one of The Families to help us take his organization down.”

Mack stood, keeping Cisco’s hand in one of hers, and placing the other on Barry’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Barr. I get it. Stay confident though, if anyone can defeat that monster, I know that it’s this team.”

Barry stood a bit straighter, and smiled at them both. “She’s a keeper.” he told Cisco. “I know, man.” Cisco replied, looking at Mack as a soft blush covered her cheeks. “I know.”

 

 

 

*

 

 

Cisco needed a break. He was pretty sure that everyone did, but what Cisco really wanted was a few minutes alone with Mack. She had gone to her room to shower, and Cisco was seriously considering joining her. Things had heated up pretty quickly between them since last weekend, and Cisco was pretty sure they were one or two more heated make out sessions from clothes starting to come off. Those stolen moments with her were the only time Cisco had where he didn’t have to worry about The Plan, or think about what could happen if it fails.

Just as he was about to go find Mack she walked into the cortex. Her smile was absolutely radient, but she walked right past him and over to where Iris was standing. They were speaking in hushed tones, and giggling. Actually  _ giggling _ . Something was definitely up.

He walked over to the two girls and they immediately stopped talking.

“Hey handsome!” Mack said, greeting him with a kiss on the cheek. 

“What’s got you two in such a good mood all of the sudden?” he asked.

“You’ll see in about half an hour.” she laughed. Cisco put his arms around Mack. “A surprise for me?” he asked.

“Sort of.” 

“What does that mean?”

“You’ll see.” Iris told him. They giggled again, and then Mack kissed him chastely.

They walked past Cisco with a huge smiles whispering to each other again. Even though he was a little disappointed that they couldn’t convince Mack to go let off a little steam together, he was glad that she was feeling better today, and that she was making friends. He knew that the stress that everyone was feeling had been getting to her. It couldn’t be easy for her to feel all of that tension and worry all of the time. On Tuesday she had confided that the tension made it hard for her to be in the cortex with everyone. She had said that it felt like the room was closing in on her, but that she felt like she had to be there to help in any way that she could. And she had been helping. She was the one who found the perfect place for the meeting to take place in the warehouse district far enough away from the docks for water to be less of an issue and in a building that she was pretty sure wasn’t used by any of the crime families. She had also been helping Caitlin in the med labs set up for all of the tests that she was planning to put Barry through. She even gave Joe the name of an officer that she was pretty sure was a mole for the Santini family so that he could attempt to leak The Plan to someone who could talk with the Santini’s who wouldn’t also let the information get back to any of Ovechkin’s moles. She was trying her best to keep everyone calm as well, jumping in whenever anyone started arguing to mediate the situation.

Cisco knew he felt a lot more strongly for this woman than was strictly normal for having known her two weeks, but he couldn’t help it. Every time anyone needed her she was there for whatever they needed. Every time they were together they grew closer. He had confided in her about his family, and his powers, and even all of the batshit crazy things that happened with Wellsobard last year. She had grieved for her family with him, telling him stories about them. And she knew exactly what to say and do help him understand her perception of things that happened. 

Cisco sighed. He went to go see Caitlin, and ended up helping her to finish setting up the immersion tank for Barry’s next round of tests (tests to see what he would theoretically be able to do if Tsunami tried to drown him the way Cisco had seen her try to in his vibe). When he and Caitlin made it back to the cortex Joe and Iris were there. They were talking to Barry, laughing with him and things didn’t seem quite as strained between Iris and Barry as they had been the past few months.

“Everyone’s here!” Iris said as she noticed Caitlin and Cisco. 

“Not everyone.” Caitlin said. “Have you seen Mack?”

“I think I might know where we can find her!” Iris told them, mischief now coloring her face. Why don’t we all go look for her. You too, dad.”

Cisco grinned, that had to be the reason that Mack was in such a good mood this evening. “C’mon guys. I have a feeling this is going to be fun.” he told them, happily following Iris to the elevator.

 

*

 

 

When they reached the empty room that Iris was leading them to everyone looked around with wide eyes. The large room had tables of delicious smelling food, a couple of coolers full of drinks, a group of couches and chairs facing a large white  wall, and a big banner that read “Team Flash”.

“Babe, did you do all of this for us?” Cisco asked, pulling Mack close and putting his arms around her.

“Iris did all of the leg work and got everything in here, but it was my idea.” she told them.

Joe hugged Iris, and Barry was already checking out all of the food.

“This is so nice,” Caitlin said, her face full of appreciation. “You didn’t have to do all of this though.”

“Surprises are fun.” Iris told her.

“And I thought you all needed a night to just have fun and enjoy each other’s company. There  _ should _ be enough food for all of us and Barry, one cooler full of sodas, one with beer, and I thought we could watch some movies and just... not talk about The Plan.” Cisco kissed the top of Mack’s head. She was such an amazing person.

“Well you two were right, I think we could all use the break.” Joe said, looking between Iris and Mack. “Thank you, girls. This is great.”

“You’re welcome, dad.” Iris told him.

“Is that popcorn shrimp?” Barry asked. “That’s my favorite!” Everyone laughed as Barry started filling his plate. Caitlin picked up a soda and started filling a plate as well. Joe grabbed beers for himself and Cisco. 

Soon they were debating movie choices, and the tension from the week was melting away. Everyone had food, and Cisco stealthily took a video of Barry eating at superspeed with SnapChat’s slow-mo filter and sent it to everyone.

The video showed Barry shoveling shrimp into his mouth just a little faster than what should be humanly possible and then spitting out the tails, followed by a quick shot of Cisco looking completely grossed out.

“That’s disgusting!” Barry laughed. “Why would you do that, man?”

“Have you  _ seen _ his other Snaps?” Caitlin asked. “I don’t think there is anything that he  _ wouldn’t _ send us.”

“He once sent me a video of him screaming like five year old girl because a clown was walking behind him!” Joe laughed. “ I accidentally opened it in the middle of a debriefing with Singh. I swear I almost lost my job that day.”

“Hey man, I remember that. I was just walking down the street, minding my own business,  and I decide to send a snap to Barry inviting him over for a game night, and when I look at my phone and there’s a freaking clown behind me trying to photobomb! What kind of person walks around Central City in a full on clown costume? I thought it was one of those crazies from Gotham or something!” Cisco defended. “After I screamed the clown apologized and I realized it was just some guy, so obviously I  _ had _ to send that to everyone. It was hilarious.”

They laughed and talked about Cisco’s SnapChat shenanigans, and when Barry had finished five plates, and everyone else had eaten a plate of their own Mack made a few bags of popcorn, and Cisco set up the projector.

 

*

 

Halfway through Moana Mack tensed up. She had been sitting cuddled up under Cisco’s right arm, and suddenly she was a ball of tension and anxiety. “Someone’s here.” she announced, eyes wide.

Barry raced out of the room in the blink of an eye. By the time everyone had stood up  Barry had Captain Cold pushed up against a wall by the door asking him what he was doing there.

“How did you even sneak in!?” Cisco yelled, fury and fear plain in his voice, and quickly filling the room. “I’ve updated the security in this building  _ four times _ since you were last here!”

Snart looked at him and smirked. “And you did a great job, it took me ten whole minutes to get passed the keypad and override the alarms so that you wouldn’t know that I arrived.”

“What are you doing here, Snart?” Mack asked.

“So the rumors are true.” Snart said, zeroing on her. “Team Flash has one of Ovechkin’s pets.”

“She is  _ not _ one of that monster’s pets!” Cisco spat, moving in front of Mack. She could feel his need to protect her, but she also couldn’t sense any immediate danger in the room, so she took Cisco’s hand and moved to stand next him.

“What are you doing here?” Mack repeated. She had met the infamous Captain Cold briefly at a couple of meetings that Ovechkin brought her to. After he had taken out the Don Santini and stolen territory from them Ovechkin had tried to buy it off Snart. She remembered that meeting because she was impressed with Snart’s ability to hide his emotions (from other people, anyway). The way his face and posture never gave anything away. Even his voice had remained coolly aloof throughout most of meeting. But this was a man whose emotions ran deep, and he could never hide that from her.

“Relax, Polly, I’m here to help.” Snart smiled.

“Polly?” Barry asked, loosening his grip on the criminal, though not letting go of him entirely.

“Lisa gave her that nickname, short for ‘polygraph’. Although I’m guessing Cisco has given you a much better moniker by now,” he answered.

Cisco felt a wave of guilt, and then another of indignation. “Mack never wanted to be a part of any of this, she doesn’t need a name.” he insisted.

“What do you mean you’re ‘here to help’?” Mack asked, ignoring exchange between Cisco and Snart. “What do you need from us?”

“I want the same thing you want.” he said. “Ovechkin out of my city.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... what did you all think of the surprise?? Any predictions on where we go from here? 
> 
> (Anyone with a correct prediction gets to tell me a headcannon of their own for any of these characters and I'll find a way to squeeze it into the story somehow!!)


End file.
